The Bellevue softball team opens the 3A state softball tournament tomorrow at 10 a.m. at Regional Athletic Complex in Lacey and they will find a familiar foe waiting for them when they arrive: the Bonney Lake Panthers.

Last season in the opening round at state, Bonney Lake scraped past the Wolverines with a 5-4 win to move into the second round and send Bellevue into the consolation bracket.

Coach Heather Tracy said her team has grown from that experience and will not arrive with the same wide-eyed demeanor they carried into the tournament in 2010. Rather than revamp their focus heading into state, Tracy said her team has their sights set on continuing to execute at the same high level that earned them the second best regular season record in 2A/3A KingCo.

“We’ve played well all season and done some great things,” Tracy said. “Going out and performing and executing well is going to be the difference in wins and losses in the end.”

In the one-run loss last year, the Wolverines were victimized by four walked batters that all came around to score and Tracy said she and pitcher Emily Fleischman have already discussed how to make sure it is a different story this time around, in large part due to Fleischman’s increased comfort level after another year of experience.

The shuffled Bellevue lineup is another variable from the meeting in 2010 and Tracy believes that could be another advantage for her squad. Last season it was Katie Savard at the top and Emily Fleischman was hitting in the six hole.

Three left-handed batters top the Wolverines’ order this season, with table-setter Marika McCarthy being followed by Fleischman and then Savard. Lisa Bennett and Anjani Briggs provide some pop in the middle and will present a drastically different look for Bonney Lake to contend with.